You can see the printing process in the video, and, frankly, it’s a really quite remarkable achievement by the folks over at UMaine.

The 3D printer can actually go bigger though and is capable of printing objects that are as long as 100 feet, 22 feet wide, and 10 feet high, and forget pages per minute, this thing can print up to 500 pounds of solid object per hour!

Watch the printer in action

UMaine’s eventual goal is to eventually commercialise this sort of large scale 3D printing for the benefit boat builders everywhere, and because the printer uses bio-based wood materials to print the objects the university also hopes it will benefit the local Maine economy as well. As Senator Angus King commented:

“Maine is the most forested state in the nation, and now we have a 3D printer big enough to make use of this bountiful resource. Today marks the latest innovative investment in Maine’s forest economy, which will serve to increase sustainability, advance the future of bio-based manufacturing and diversify our forest products industry.”

Moving forward UMaine will be partnering with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a $20 million research collaboration to develop it further and produce new bio-based materials that are suitable for the 3D printing of large objects.

So who knows, one day soon we might actually see Boeing make a large flying wooden plane using this same technology – it’s like the 1900’s are about to make a come back! Who knew?!

Matthew Griffin, described as “The Adviser behind the Advisers” and a “Young Kurzweil,” is the founder and CEO of the World Futures Forum and the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures consultancy working between the dates of 2020 to 2070, and is an award winning futurist, and author of “Codex of the Future” series.

Regularly featured in the global media, including AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, RT, Viacom, and WIRED, Matthew’s ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of revolutionary emerging technologies on global culture, industry and society, is unparalleled. Recognised for the past six years as one of the world’s foremost futurists, innovation and strategy experts Matthew is an international speaker who helps governments, investors, multi-nationals and regulators around the world envision, build and lead an inclusive, sustainable future.

A rare talent Matthew’s recent work includes mentoring Lunar XPrize teams, re-envisioning global education and training with the G20, and helping the world’s largest organisations envision and ideate the future of their products and services, industries, and countries.